IME SORNITO AND RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO City – Public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers and operators here are excited to receive a one-time P6,000 fuel subsidy from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
LTFRB chairman Teofilo Guadiz announced Tuesday, July 18, that the agency targets to release the fuel subsidy to jeepney and tricycle operators in late August.
The one-time fuel assistance will be given to operators nationwide, but those who have modernized jeepneys will get the subsidy first.
“When the price of oil increases, as it is happening now, the subsidy is automatically included in the General Appropriations Act,” Guadiz said in Filipino when asked why the LTFRB was distributing the subsidy.
On Tuesday, oil companies increased the price of gasoline by P1.90 per liter, diesel by P2.10 per liter and kerosene by P1.80 per liter.
PUJ driver Steve Siatong, plying the Villa Mohon route, hoped to finally receive the fuel subsidy.
“Tani tanan makatilaw sang fuel subsidy para nami kag kabulig sa driver,” he said.
According to Siatong, regardless of the amount, the aid is very much welcome for a father of a college student like him.
Diesel costs around P56.40 per liter while gasoline costs P65.55 per liter.
Tama na kataas sang presyo sang gatong. Daku gid ang buhin sa amon kapin pa kay may modernized [jeepney] nga nagsulod sa amon, ang mga pasahero nagatunga na kapin pa kon naga-ulan, ang pasahero didto gid,” he added.
PUJ driver Larry Galvez from Arevalo district said the same.
“Mapasalamat ta nga maabot na kontani kay daku nga bulig sa amon nga drivers,” he said.
Galvez plans to share part of the subsidy with his operator.
Jeepney driver Juanito Quiste, for his part, said he needed the subsidy after trips became less frequent with the modernized jeepneys coming in. He has yet to get one, despite the multiple occasions the national government has provided subsidies.
Felix Jocsing, driver/operator of a Mohon-Villa jeep, even proposed that the subsidy be distributed outside cooperatives and directly to operators and drivers.
“Mas maayo na tani nga indi mag-agi sa coop para madirekta sa amon nga operator para mahatagan ko man ang akon drivers kag ang naga-extra sa akon,” said Jocsing.
On the other hand, Western Visayas Transport Cooperative (WVTC) president Raymundo “Boyet” Parcon said the subsidy should be downloaded through cooperatives.
“Dapat sa coop maagi para matagaan naton ang tanan nga operators nga consolidated,” Parcon said, explaining that all individual operators are within cooperatives, which also spend for the maintenance of modernized jeeps.
WVTC has over 700 operator members qualified to receive the P6,000 fuel subsidy each.
Rizal Alido, Western Visayas Federation of Transport Cooperative and Corporation (WVFTCC) chairperson and concurrent board secretary of the Iloilo City Alliance of Operators and Drivers Transport Cooperative (ICAODTC), said drivers, operators and cooperatives have long awaited the subsidy.
“Makabulig gid sa amon, especially sa cooperative,” Alido said referring to the expensive fuel costs and maintenance of the PUV units.
He also said if the subsidy gets downloaded to the cooperatives, they will immediately release it to drivers and operators.
Meanwhile, LTFRB-6 legal counsel Salvador Altura said his office has yet to receive a notification or notice from the central office on the release of the subsidy.
“Wala pa kami sang notification. Kun may ara gid man ti we will not hesitate, indi man ina namon pagtaguon,” Altura told Panay News.
No drivers or operators have approached the LTFRB-6 yet to inquire about this.
Transportation secretary Jaime Bautista said the department would first issue guidelines for the LTFRB on releasing the fuel subsidy.
He said the government is opting for a “one-time big-time” payout of the assistance to transport workers instead of giving it in tranches. (With a report from newsinfo.inquirer.net)/PN
